"What to do if you receive a Sudden Financial Windfall"

 

We talk about this at work, what would we do, we throw in $10 each month towards the dept "Retirement account".  One guy buys "mega millions lottery tickets.  We all sign agreement, rules and responsibility. Fun to dream though.  I have fully funded my retirement for years and am getting close to retirement, so even though I don't hit the lottery, I still will be "ok" 

  I have discussed the "Magic of compounded Interest" several times on my blog.  The only thing that concerns me is that the government looking for more sources of revenue because they have a spending problem seizes my retirement "in the interest of fairness" or some other felderkarb, but that is a story for another time.  this posting is about what do you do?    Me, I would tell no one, sit on the money, change no spending habits although my house is paid off as I paid cash for my truck and the spousal unit's Edge is paid off.   I do have a financial adviser and an accountant.  and I do have a lawyer, LOL  I would incorporate myself and be anonymous as much as possible to avoid the grifters, keep working so if people think that "hey if he won money, then why is he still working that blue collar job?  I would have better security around me though, on the house, car, ete,ete.  depending on the windfall, I would consult some security professionals.  I'm not blind to the evils of the world.   Trying to be a "gray man" would be difficult (Sorry Jim) in this world, scammers do a lot of research on their marks before they try to either scam them or rob them.    It is fun to dream.

     I shamelessly clipped this from "Art of Manliness"

A loved one dies, and you receive a substantial inheritance.

You sell your business for a hefty price.

Maybe you even win the lottery.

Great news, right?

Well, it certainly can be. But suddenly coming into money can also be a problem you never thought would be a problem. 

We’ve all heard stories of lottery winners who end up bankrupt or families who inherit a lot of money only to find themselves back in debt a few years later. What causes people to squander a financial windfall? 

When it comes to dealing with this situation, AoM podcast guest and behavioral finance expert Daniel Crosby recommends the book Sudden Money by financial advisor Susan Bradley. According to Bradley, people bungle receiving a financial windfall for two big reasons.

The first is that emotions cloud people’s thinking, leading to poor decision-making.  

If you inherit some money, you might be dealing with guilt and grief, which may cause you to unwisely give your money away as quickly as possible. 

If your windfall came from selling a business that you spent years of your life building, you might feel depressed due to losing your sense of purpose and be tempted to spend your way out of your funk.

Besides dealing with the emotions that can accompany coming into a lot of money quickly, the other pitfall of sudden wealth is not knowing how to manage that much money. 

If you’ve made $75,000 a year for most of your career and suddenly inherit $300,000 after the death of your parents, you might not know what to do with such a large lump sum.

Where do you put it? How do you invest it? What sort of taxes do you have to worry about?

Below, we offer some expert-backed advice on how to manage a financial windfall so that it remains a blessing rather than a curse. 

Create a No-Decision Zone

As soon as you get a financial windfall, you’ll be tempted to start spending it immediately. Many people will also give you ideas about what you should do with your newfound money. 

But these immediate decisions are typically based on fleeting emotions that can steer you the wrong way. 

In Sudden Wealth: Blessing or Burden?, authors David Rust and Shane Moore highlight a family that won the lottery. Feeling over-the-moon happy, they quit their jobs and immediately bought cruise tickets for 72 (72!) of their family members, friends, and acquaintances. It wasn’t until they returned from their cruise that they realized that the money they won wouldn’t last as long as they thought it would and that they’d soon be running out of financial runway. 

In her book, Susan Bradley highlights individuals who made similar impulsive decisions after getting a windfall. For example, when one man unexpectedly came into some money, he immediately decided to relocate. While the move was to a nice locale, in the process he cut himself off from friends and family. He ended up like Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood — a bitter recluse in a gilded cage.

To avoid making emotionally-driven financial decisions concerning your windfall, Bradley recommends creating a “No-Decision Zone.”

During this time, you’ll park your money in a money market account and let it sit there untouched for months or even up to a year.

The No-Decision Zone does several things. 

First, it allows for any strong emotions you might be experiencing after getting the windfall to cool off so you can make better decisions. 

Second, it gives you an excuse to deter ne’er-do-well relatives or acquaintances who might come knocking on your door to discuss “business opportunities” or ask for a “loan.” You can just tell them, “Sorry, I can’t do anything for you. I’m not making any decisions about this money right now.” 

Third, it gives you time to establish goals and talk to a financial advisor about managing your financial windfall. 

Your No-Decision Zone can last as long as you need it to. Don’t be in a rush to start using your money, and don’t let other people rush you. That’s how mistakes happen. 

Find a Financial Advisor

After you’ve put your financial windfall into a money market account, look for a financial advisor, particularly one who specializes in helping people who’ve come into financial windfalls. 

You’ll want to find a fee-only financial advisor. You pay this person a flat fee or by the hour for their advice and service. They don’t make their money selling you financial products like insurance. There’s less conflict of interest with fee-only financial advisors. 

A financial advisor can help you navigate tax issues that might come with your newfound wealth. A big mistake that many people make in getting a financial windfall is that they spend it all without setting aside money for taxes. When the tax bill comes due, they have to dip into their retirement fund to get the cash to pay the taxman. Don’t be that guy! Depending on the type and amount of your financial windfall, your financial advisor may refer you to a tax specialist and attorney. 

Build a Strong Financial Base

When you talk to your financial advisor, they’ll likely examine your overall financial picture to see how this windfall can improve your financial life. The first thing they’ll want to check is whether you’ve secured your financial base. 

If you haven’t yet secured your financial base, you can use the windfall to do so by doing these two things:

Fund Your Emergency Fund. An emergency fund is money for when the s**t hits the fan. Direct a portion of your windfall towards your emergency fund. Depending on the amount of your windfall, aim to fund six months to a year of living expenses.

Pay Off Non-Mortgage Debt. A financial windfall is a great opportunity to become antifragile. Pay off your high-interest credit card and car loan debt first, followed by student loans. 

Those two things will go a long way in leveraging your financial windfall to your advantage since you’re reducing the downside in your life. Always reduce downside when you can. 

If you still have money left over after funding your emergency fund and paying off your non-mortgage debt, work with your financial advisor to set aside some of the windfall in your retirement account. If you don’t have a retirement account, a financial windfall is a great time to start one!

Set Aspirational Goals Based on Reality

After you’ve secured your financial base with your windfall, you can start getting aspirational. I talked to AoM podcast guest Nick Maggiulli about what he’d recommend after you’ve taken care of your financial base. Even though he’s the Just Keep Buying guy, Nick doesn’t necessarily recommend plowing all your windfall into investments. “If you’ve paid off your debt, have a fully funded emergency fund, and a solid retirement savings, ask yourself what your stretch goals in life are. What are your aspirations? What are the things that could give you deep fulfillment in your life, and how can you use this money to get there?” he advised. 

Bradley recommends the same thing. She calls it creating your “Bliss List.” 

Your bliss list could include: 

• Paying off your mortgage
• Remodeling your home
• Fully funding your kid’s college education
• Starting a business
• Taking a bucket list vacation
• Buying a dream car
• Taking a sabbatical from work
• Going back to school yourself
• Early retirement
• Donating to organizations that are important to you

The sky’s the limit with your Bliss List. Don’t hold back!

After you’ve made your list, prioritize its entries in order of importance to you. 

Then work with your financial advisor to reality check your goals. If you received a $300,000 inheritance from your parents, you might be able to pay off your mortgage, and that’s about it. If funding your kids’ college education and taking a bucket list vacation are also important to you, you’ll have to make trade-offs. Maybe instead of completely paying off your mortgage, you pay down $150k’s worth, split $100k between college funds for your two children, and use the remaining $50k to spend a year traveling the world. 

If you want to take a sabbatical from work or retire early due to a significant financial windfall, your financial advisor, along with a tax advisor, can help you generate an investment plan that will help you ensure you’ve got enough money to make up for the fact that you’ll no longer be receiving a paycheck. 

A financial windfall can transform your life. The biggest mistake is making decisions too soon after coming into sudden wealth due to volatile emotions. Create a No-Decision Zone and don’t do anything with your newfound money for a while. During that time, find a financial advisor, secure your financial base, and make a plan to put your windfall to good use.

"Things Every Man Should Keep in His Car"

 

I keep most of the same articles in my truck all the time, except on road trips, I carry some Freedom Seed dispensers and replacement seeds. extra poncho's umbrella's, a change of clothes and a jacket plus some tools.  Keep in mind, I drive an F150, 

and that truck has cubbyhole's all over it and you don't realize it.  Besides the Lifehammer, I keep a few extra lock blades and dead battery holders er flashlights in the truck and some of those "worklights" that have a bungee cord on them.  Oh and yeah and cop grade OC Spray.  I rather incapacitate someone first rather than ventilate them.

     I shamelessly clipped this from "Art of Manliness"

When I was growing up, I noticed that my father kept his car well-stocked with supplies. A lot of the equipment was for his job busting poachers as a game warden, but most of the things were for emergency situations that could happen to anyone. And there were plenty of times when my dad was able to put those supplies to work.

Be it a maintenance issue or a snowstorm, keeping the following items in your vehicle can save you time and discomfort, and perhaps even your very life, should an emergency arise. Obviously, the necessity of some items depends on the environment in which you live/are driving through (you don’t need an ice scraper in Tampa) and the season (though it’s best just to stock this stuff and keep it stocked, rather than removing/adding things as the seasons change).

1. Paper maps. Sometimes — okay, plenty of times — Google Maps or Waze doesn’t want to cooperate. And if you don’t have service, their reliability is of no import anyway. It’s always a good idea to keep paper maps handy of the areas you’ll be driving through.

2. Snacks/MREs. You never know when you’ll be stranded for long periods of times in your car. And depending on where you are, you could be dozens of miles from the closest source of help. Keep some MREs or granola/power bars in the back of your car to munch on while you wait for a tow truck to come, or to sustain you for a long walk to a gas station to call for help.

3. Cell phone charger/extra battery. Cell phones, and their batteries, are notoriously unreliable and quick-draining in emergency scenarios. It’s like they know when you need them most. Build some redundancy into your car’s emergency kit by keeping both a charger, and an extra battery. No excuses; they’re cheap these days.

4. LifeHammer. Should an accident trap you in your car, this rescue tool could save your life in a couple ways. It has a seat belt cutter, a steel hammer head that easily breaks side windows, and a glow-in-the-dark pin for easy retrieval in the dark. Every car should have one easily accessible!

5. Flashlight. Good for providing light at nighttime when 1) putting on a spare tire, 2) jump starting another car, or 3) exchanging insurance information with the clueless driver who rear-ended you at a stop light. Get a Maglite and you can also thump would-be carjackers in the head with it.

6. Portable air compressor. When your tire is leaking but hasn’t totally blown out, instead of putting on a spare, you can use a portable air compressor to get back on the road. The compressor fills your tire up enough to allow you to drive to a repair shop to get it fixed. It plugs right into your cigarette lighter. Bonus use: no more paying 75 cents to fill up your tires at stingy gas stations.

7. Windshield wiper fluid. Few things are as indispensable as wiper fluid. Dirty windshield, no fluid, and wet, dirty roads? Get used to stopping every 10 minutes to clean the windshield. Always have some in the car for when you inevitably run out and need it most.

8. Roadside flares. When pulled over on the side of the road, you’re basically a sitting duck, hoping that other drivers don’t clip you. It’s especially dangerous at night. Ensure that you and those around you are visible when you pull over by using road flares, or at least a reflective triangle. The old school flaming flares seem to be harder to find these days as people switch to the LED variety.

9. Jumper cables. You walk out to your car after a long day of work, stick the key into the ignition, give it a turn, and…click, click, click. Crap! You then look up and notice you left the dome light on all day. It happens to the best of us. Car batteries die, so be ready with a set of jumper cables. And even if you never suffer a dead battery, it’s always good to have a set of jumper cables so you can help a damsel (or dude) in distress who needs their car jumped.

10. Tow strap. Get your car unstuck from anything with a tow strap. Attach one end of the strap to the front of the car that you want to pull and the other to the hitch on the back of your car. The stranded driver stays in the dead car, puts it in neutral, and gets freed. Easy as that!

11. Water. For when you’re stranded in Death Valley in the middle of the hottest heat wave on record…or for any other time your car decides to break down on you. Also for when you’ve been on the trail and are parched because you didn’t pack enough in your hiking pack. Always keep a few bottles handy in the trunk.

12. First aid kit. Whether you’re cleaning up a head wound filled with glass shards or fixing a boo boo on your two-year-old, it’s good to have a first aid kit. You can always buy one, but putting together your own in an Altoids tin is more fun.

13. Blankets. Blankets have uses that go beyond emergency situations. It’s always good to have a blanket in the car for snuggling with your gal while you cheer for your team on a cold fall night or for laying it on the ground for a picnic. Get the space-saving (but not very romantic) emergency Mylar variety, or something a little classier like the Paria from Rumpl.

14. Fire extinguisher. Car fires can be especially dangerous because of the flammable liquids coursing through their systems. Keep an extinguisher in the car that can be used not only for your own emergencies, but for others who might be in danger as well. An auto extinguisher is useful, as it will be rated for putting out car-specific fires that are fueled by gasoline and oil.

15. Shovel. There are a couple of instances where a folding shovel might come in handy. The first is when you get stuck in the snow or ice. You can use the shovel to dig some snow out and place some dirt under the tire to get more traction. The second situation is when a car tire gets stuck in a hole or something. You can use the shovel to dig about and create some ramps to help get your car unstuck. Also, it can be used as an improvised weapon.

Winter/Snow-Specific Items

16. Kitty litter. Kitty litter? For traveling with your cats and they need a potty break? Hardly. Kitty litter is extremely useful as a traction device when you’re stuck in the snow or ice after a skid gone wrong. It’s not usually that you’re buried in snow that keeps your car from moving, but the slickness of the surface you’re trying to move on. Throw a handful of kitty litter in front of the tires, and they’ll have some traction to help get you on the road again.

17. Multi-wick candles. If you’re stranded in a broken-down car in the winter, you might need more than just a blanket. An actual heat source will come in mighty handy. Have a multi-wick candle (the single wick kind don’t provide adequate warmth) on hand (and matches!); it can keep your car warm for quite awhile. Candles are expensive, so make your own on the cheap (and you save even more money going scentless).

18. Ice scraper. Don’t be the chump who’s out there scraping their windshield with a credit card at 5AM in the morning. A good ice scraper will set you back just a few bucks from most any convenience store, and it will make clearing your windshield much easier and much faster.

19. Hat and gloves. Along with a blanket, make sure your head and hands stay toasty warm too. The thicker the better here; you aren’t going for fashion, but survival.

20. Tire chains. Not only are tire chains handy in wintery mountain passes, they’re actually required in some states. Don’t get stuck in the mountains; don’t get a ticket for not having chains.

"5 fast food that are high in protein and less than 600 calories"

 I shamelessly cribbed this from "Art of manliness", I am losing weight again and when the fast food munchies hit, I get tired of eating "rabbit food" I saw this and it helps keep the craving in check, and portion control.

If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the challenges you’ll face is what to do about those times when you find yourself at a fast-food restaurant.

The offerings at these establishments are typically incredibly high in calories. A Big Mac meal at McDonald’s can set you back 1,300 calories. Damn! If your calorie goal for the day is 2,400 calories, that’s more than half your daily calories in a single meal.

The typical advice for people losing weight is to just avoid fast-food restaurants altogether. And with some preparing, thinking ahead, and good decision-making, you can accomplish that most of the time.

But not 100% of the time. Sometimes, life throws a wrench in your plans.

Maybe you’re on a road trip, and your friends decide to stop at Carl’s Jr. for lunch.

Maybe your kid’s soccer team decided to go out to dinner to Chick-fil-A after the game.

Maybe you’re just really pressed for time and need to grab something fast at a drive-thru on the way from work to another engagement.

What to do?

Well, what if I told you you don’t have to choose between convenience and your fitness goals? You can have your fast-food burger and eat it too—all while staying on track with your weight loss.

When you want to lose weight, you want to choose foods that are lower in calories and higher in satiating, muscle-building protein.

Thankfully, most fast-food restaurants now offer options that meet this criteria. With a bit of creativity, you can easily select meals at pretty much all the major fast-food restaurants that will give you 30+ grams of protein (which is a good minimum goal for a meal) and only clock in at around 600 calories.

Below, we provide some suggestions for meals that meet these metrics that you can get at five popular fast-food restaurants. One thing to keep in mind is that while you can reduce the calories in your fast-food orders, it’s hard to reduce the amount of sodium. These are going to be sodium bombs. So they’re not great for everyday dining, but they’ll do in a pinch.

Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds or maintain your hard-earned gains, this guide will show you how to navigate the pitfalls of fast-food menus and stay on track with your goals.

General Guidelines to Keep Your Fast-Food Meals Lower in Calories

Before we get into specific meals, here are some general guidelines to follow that will allow you to keep your meals lower in calories, regardless of the fast-food establishment you visit:

• Food tracking apps like MyFtinessPal are your friends. I use the app all the time when I’m at fast-food restaurants. Quickly look up the calorie and macro count of foods and piece together your meal with that info.
• Choose grilled over fried meats.
• Choose lean proteins. While you can still enjoy a beef burger, protein sources like turkey or chicken breast generally have fewer calories.
• Ask for extra protein. Adding extra protein, like extra meat, can help increase satiety while keeping calories low.
• Skip the fries. If you’re looking for a side, get fruit or salad instead. Also, hot take: fries aren’t that good anyway!
• Skip the high-fat sauces, dressings, and condiments. Ask for lower-calorie options instead.
• Load up on veggies. Satiety is premised in part on volume; calorically dense foods won’t fill you up and will leave you feeling hungry. To increase volume and nutrition, add low-calorie veggies to your meals like extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
• Choose water or unsweetened drinks like diet sodas.

Finally, don’t be afraid to enjoy yourself with a no-holds-barred high-calorie fast-food meal every now and then. I love getting a double cheeseburger on occasion. You can just adjust your macros and calories accordingly and eat less the rest of the day. Or just chalk it up to an anomalous indulgence, and get back to your diet the next day. You don’t have to eat perfectly 100% of the time to still lose weight and stay healthy.

Fast-Food Meals That Are 600 Calories or Less With More than 30 Grams of Protein

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is a tricky place to get a high-protein meal that’s low in calories. They used to offer grilled chicken and salad options here in the United States, but they got rid of them back in 2020.

You can still get a meal that’s a little more than 500 calories and 30 grams of protein by pairing a McDouble burger with an order of McNuggets.

McDouble + 4-Count McNuggets

• On the burger, ask for no cheese and extra pickles, lettuce, and onion for added volume.

Total calories: 530 (If you don’t eat the burger’s bun, you can knock off an additional 100 calories.)
Protein: 30 grams
Fat: 27 grams
Carbs: 43 grams

Taco Bell

Do you want to Live Más but without all the extra calories? Try the Cantina Chicken Bowl at Taco Bell. Choose grilled chicken instead of roasted chicken to keep the calories down but the protein high.

Cantina Grilled Chicken Bowl

• Ask for three servings of grilled chicken.
• Ask for it with no rice and no avocado ranch sauce
• Keep the black beans, cheese, and low-fat sour cream.
• Ask for extra lettuce, pico de gallo, and cabbage for added volume.
• Use hot sauce packets to add flavor.

Total calories: 460
Protein: 56 grams
Fat: 18 grams
Carbs: 20 grams

Chick-fil-A

Boy, do I love Chick-fil-A. My usual go-to is the spicy chicken sandwich with extra pickles. I usually get two of them as a meal.

If I know I’ll be having Chick-fil-A for dinner, I’ll cut back on my other meals during the day to make room in my macro budget for those two spicy chicken sandwiches.

But sometimes we have nights where we have Chick-fil-A unexpectedly and getting my regular two-fisted sandwich order would put me way over my calorie count for the day.

Thankfully, Chick-fil-A offers some tasty high-protein, lower-calorie grilled options.

Here’s an order with just 420 calories and a whopping 50 grams of protein.

Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap + 4-Count Grilled Chicken Nuggets

• Use buffalo sauce to add some low-calorie flavor.

Total calories: 420
Protein: 50 grams
Fat: 15 grams
Carbs: 30 grams

Panda Express

A lot of take-out Chinese food is loaded with fat. But you can get a solid meal at Panda Express that has 600 total calories and 72(!) grams of protein.

Plate Meal: 2 servings of Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + 1 serving of Super Greens

Total Calories: 600
Protein: 72 grams
Fat: 30.5
Carbs: 25 grams

Subway

Sandwiches are a great fast-food option if you’re looking for something high in protein, but lower in calories. At pretty much every sandwich chain, you can create a custom sandwich that’s loaded with satiating, lean meats like chicken or turkey and plenty of filling, high-volume veggies.

Subway isn’t the tastiest of the sandwich chains, in my opinion (we’re bigger fans of Jersey Mike’s around here), but its outposts are ubiquitous. Here’s an example of a nutritionally solid sammie to get there:

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

• 6-inch artisanal bread
• 3 servings of grilled chicken
• 2 servings of provolone
• Lettuce, tomato, onion (ask for extra)
• Sweet teriyaki sauce

Total calories: 540
Protein: 70 grams
Fat: 16 grams
Carbs: 47 grams

Allowing for fast food in your weight loss journey isn’t just about damage control—it’s about creating a sustainable strategy for long-term success.

By being flexible with your diet, you’ll be more likely to stick with it in the long run. Research shows that a flexible approach to nutrition, allowing yourself to enjoy a variety of foods—yes, even fast food—can lead to better adherence and, ultimately, better results.

"So You Been Laid Off...5 things to do Right away"

 

  I got this from "Art of Manliness, I will Interject in blue my experiences to add to the Author.  I will add this part, When I got hired at AAP"Atlanta Assembly Plant" I was told that unless I screw up, this will be the last job I will ever will have until I retire, well 11+ years later I was walking out the door for the last time.  It was the 2nd time I was laid off, the first time was in 1992, I was working at "Kawneer" as a Door fabricator, I was single, so I scrambled and found another job. Pizza delivery.  the 2nd time I got laid off, was Ford Motor Company, I was married and had a 3 year old son and the search was more desperate because this was during the "Great Recession" and I was fortunate that my present employer hired me after I was searching for a job/career since February 2006 and I got hired 2nd quarter 2007.  I worked various Pizza jobs holding the wolf at bay during this time.  I don't hate "Ford Motor Company"for what transpired, they were in a bad situation.

    This is inside my Ford "Toolbox", that I have in my garage now, you can chase the link that shows the transformation.

   The Article Follows

I'm in my late thirties and have been laid off twice in my working years. This is not an unusual experience, especially in the post-COVID era, which some have termed a time of “forever layoffs.” Nearly half of all working adults have been laid off at some point in their career and most working employees are worried about layoffs on a regular basis.

The first time it happened to me was in 2012 when the small marketing agency that I’d been with for only a year went belly up. I was young, didn’t have many responsibilities in life just yet, and the job hunt went quite well; I secured a new gig within a handful of weeks. The second time I was laid off was in 2024, as part of a larger set of cuts at a billion-dollar tech company I had been with for about three years. Twelve years after my first layoff, not only was the economy wildly different, but I had a family, three young kids, and a mortgage to worry about. It took almost a year of ups, downs, and freelance projects to get back into comfortable employment. Those two instances ended up being pretty different experiences, and yet a similar set of tactics helped me get through both times.  

There will inevitably be a flood of anxiety after you’ve been laid off. But once your heart rate has calmed down and you’re able to move beyond panic mode, do these five things to get yourself in a good position to survive and move forward.  

Nail Down Your Financial and Insurance Logistics  

As hard as it can be in those first days after being let go, you need to start thinking right away about your finances and health insurance. It can be hard to do so without catastrophizing, but it’s important to think clearly and strategically about how you and your family will weather the financial unpredictability of the coming weeks and months.

Insurance

First, consider your insurance situation. Be sure that you have information from HR about when your benefits lapse — it can be immediate, but sometimes it’s a few weeks or even months down the road.

If you’re carrying the household’s insurance and have the option to move to a spouse’s insurance plan, definitely go that route, even if it’s not for the long-term. Having coverage is better than not having coverage.

If that’s not an option, COBRA is a federal government program that allows you to receive the same exact insurance you had with your former employer, for a period of 18-36 months after being let go. The major difference is that you’ll have to pay the entire cost of the premiums. If you’re in a field with good benefits, it may be exorbitantly expensive to pay out of pocket. In that case, your state’s insurance marketplace is where to look next. It can be confusing if you’ve never dealt with it before; your former employer’s HR department may be able to help you find a broker to help with that process. Don’t hesitate to ask them these types of questions.  

Finances

You also have to think realistically about your budget. How much do you have in your bank account? How much severance are you receiving, if any? How much do you have in emergency savings or other accessible accounts (that is, stocks or other investments that don’t have withdrawal penalties, rather than retirement accounts)? Make sure you know exactly how long you can make it without your income.

After Ford, I lived below my means and carried little or no credit card debt, and paid cash for my cars or if I got a note, paid them off real early in case I got laid off.

Next, apply for government unemployment benefits. Each state has their own online portal (and set of rules). You’ll be entitled to a percentage of your previous wages (typically 50%) for an entire year. It’s a hassle, and there are a lot of forms, including weekly online check-ins about your job search, but there’s no reason to not take advantage of unemployment checks. After all, your taxes have been paying into that fund for as long as you’ve been working!

Reach Out and Start Networking

Time to share some harsh truth: In today’s job market, it’s nearly impossible to just apply for a job that you found online and get invited to a screening interview, let alone make it all the way through the lengthy multi-interview + work test process that pervades modern job hunting. In the vast majority of cases, networking will get you farther than scrolling job listings online. It bears repeating: while networking does not necessarily have the same immediate ROI as applying for random jobs, it will net you greater returns in the long run.

For me, I used Monster, any and all resources, my present employer actually called me because they were looking for a particular skillset and my resume had it.

In particular, it’s worth reaching out to your weak ties — those loose connections you made in college or through work or church. You aren’t quite friends with these folks, but know them well enough that reaching out in this scenario isn’t weird. Go creeping on LinkedIn to see where folks work; if a company seems interesting, there’s no harm in sending a message like:

“Hi there! I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked. I hope you’re doing well — I loved seeing that family picture on Facebook. I wanted to reach out and say hello because I was recently let go from my job of five years. I’m trying to get a feel for what the market is like and what’s out there and would really appreciate a 30-minute chat if you’re willing. If the timing isn’t right, no worries, but it’d be great to catch up a bit.”

If they agree to chat, don’t make it just about finding a job at their company; it really should be a broader focus on if they know of anyone or anything helpful. If you talk and something seems like a good fit, they’ll let you know. (After you talk, make sure to send a thank you note or message!)

Beyond those weak ties, also do some fresh networking both online and in your community. With a quick internet search, you’ll be able to find digital and IRL networks of folks in your industry. Again, the ROI is not always apparent, but genuine networking — with the goal of just getting to know people and getting your name and face out there — always has a way of paying off in the long run.  

P.S. This is a great reason to never burn bridges on your way out of any job.

Set Some “Working” Hours

In my observations, it seems that there are two types of responses to being out of work: either you can’t seem to get off the couch to do anything or you turn that anxiety into a kind of hyperactivity, spending every waking moment on the phone or computer. Both of those approaches have problems that can be remedied by doing your best to set daily “working” hours.

Don’t try to replicate a full work week; set aside 3-4 hours per day for networking, job hunting, building up your skills, and the like. The work of finding work is mentally taxing (and, let’s be honest, often defeating) in a way that a “real” job is not. There’s no psychological security at all; in fact, you’re mostly dealing with feelings of existential dread the whole time. As such, your willpower gets depleted rather quickly. After half a day or so, you’ll experience diminishing returns and it won’t be worth the additional mental energy to keep going. You can only scroll through so many job listings and write so many cover letters in a day before you start to feel your soul escaping your body.

Conduct Career Experiments

My initial response to being let go was, naturally enough, to apply for positions similar to what I just held. That makes total sense and should absolutely be your first plan of attack. Unless you have a sizeable financial cushion, it’s not a bad idea to do this even if you plan on changing careers — it may make for a nice fallback should that other route not work out as quickly as you hoped.

Within a few weeks, though, it was easy to blast through applying for the roles that most matched my resume. After that, I took the liberty of getting a little more creative and looking for roles that I wasn’t perfectly qualified for but suited my interests a bit more. Even though my career has been in online media and marketing, when I was laid off in 2024 I branched out and had a couple interviews outside my comfort zone, including with a small coffee roaster and a large airplane manufacturer. I even considered going back to school. I didn’t end up doing any of those things, but I thought long and hard about them and did learn a lot about what it would be like to jump industries, to start at the bottom of a workplace food chain, and the practicalities of starting fresh.

If you’ve ever thought of doing something different with your career, perhaps being let go is the spark you need to jumpstart that process. Don’t be afraid to look outside of what you know, especially if it’s an industry that’s been hit hard with layoffs (perhaps making it all that much harder to get a new job in that field).  

Do Your Best to Relax

One of the things that bothered me most — and which happened both of the times I was laid off — was hearing from folks about how I now had some time to sleep in, relax a bit, and enjoy “funemployment.” As if! There was no way I could sleep in or really even remotely enjoy myself while in the midst of desperately trying to find a way to replace that income as soon as possible. It’s very hard to relax when you’ve been laid off versus when you’ve left a job on your own terms, even if you’ve been lucky enough to receive severance pay.

That said, each time it’s happened to me, I forced myself to at least do some activities that would normally bring me joy — even if they didn’t immediately do so in the moment. For me, it was hiking/walking every day, reading, and doing some extra cooking/baking. While there’s a time and place for some true vegging out with Netflix, it’s best to shoot for a more active type of relaxation that comes from using your body and brain in a way that you get deeper fulfillment from. Regular exercise should especially be part of that routine. If you just lounge around on the couch all day, you can quickly fall into a pattern that’s hard to get out of.

It’s likely going to be hard to truly relax and let yourself recharge, but at least go through the motions. Some of it will stick and you’ll at least build up a good routine of caring for your mind and body while without work.

The job market and the process of finding work after a layoff is unpredictable. I simply cannot say that it will all work out in a timely manner. But if you follow these steps, you’ll at least have a better setup for success than you would have otherwise. Best of luck out there!

"How To Pick A Lock"

 Yesterday I had posted "50" Stocking Stuffers for guys that I got from the "Art of Manliness" website, well I was checking out that link I had posted  and I started diving deep into the "Lock picking" one, soo much that I ordered me a set of tools for educational use mind you.  I used to be really good at getting into cars in the 80's and 90's, but I haven't tried in 20+ years even though my Dad gave me his slim Jim from when he was a cop.  Just haven't felt the need.  Funny that, LOL  

    Again I shamelessly clipped this from "Art of Manliness"

Some of you might be thinking, “Brett, why should I learn how to pick a lock if I don’t plan on breaking into people’s homes?”

Great question.

There are a few good reasons why law-abiding citizens should learn how to pick a lock:

Lock picking opens your eyes to the “illusion of security.” We all lock our doors to keep our loved ones safe at night and to secure our possessions during the day. After I picked my first lock within two minutes of learning how to do it, I realized that locks don’t really do much except provide the illusion of security. Locks make us feel safe, but if someone really wanted to get in your house, they could easily pick the lock on your front door. If they didn’t know how to do that, they could find another way in. You can’t just rely on a lock to keep you and your family safe. You need to utilize other tools and tactics and create multiple layers of security.

Realizing how little locks actually keep you and your stuff safe was both terrifying and surprisingly heartwarming. Terrifying because I saw that someone could easily enter my house and walk off with a crapload of stuff without having to break a window; heartwarming because seeing how easy it is to pick a lock and yet how rarely people get burgled, made me realize that most people don’t break into homes because, well, most people are good people.

It makes you handy. If you’ve ever been locked out of your house or car, you know how annoying it is to be standing there like a chump, waiting for someone to show up with a key or a professional locksmith to arrive. Wouldn’t you love to be able to jimmy your way in yourself? Not only can this skill save you a lot of time and money, being able to solve a problem like that on your own is pretty dang satisfying. Plus, you can help out all your friends when they get locked out too.

Knowing how to pick a lock may even help you save a life one day. ITS Tactical has highlighted a few instances in which someone picked their way into an older parent’s home because they weren’t answering the phone, only to find their parent collapsed on the floor. Could they have kicked the door down or broken a window? Sure. But picking a lock just takes a few seconds and doesn’t leave any damage. So why wouldn’t you do that if you could?

It’s a cool and fun skill! There’s simply a “cool” factor of knowing how to pick a lock. Of all the Jason Bourne-esque skills every man wishes he had, it’s one of the most attainable. The idea that I can surreptitiously enter most doors without a key makes me feel all-powerful, like some sort of super ninja-spy.

It’s also a fun little hobby and something I like to do when I’m taking breaks from work or hanging out with the kids while they do their kid thing on the carpet. If you get really into lock picking, you can actually go to events and contests to test your skills against other lock pickers.

Below we walk you through basic lock-picking techniques for tumbler locks. I made a lock picking YouTube video a few years ago that shows how to do this step-by-step.

The Legality of Lock Picking

There’s a common misconception that the only people who can legally own lock-picking tools are first responders or licensed locksmiths. The reality is that in most states, as long as you’re not trying to illegally enter someone’s home with your lock-picking set, you can legally own, carry, and use lock-picking tools.

There are, however, some states that have laws that make owning lock-picking tools prima facie evidence of criminal intent. If you’re caught with picks in these states and you want to avoid criminal charges, you have to prove that you didn’t plan on committing a crime.

Long story short: owning lock-picking tools and learning how to pick locks is perfectly legal and ethical as long as you do so without nefarious intent. Just be a decent human being. For a summary of lock-picking laws across the country, see here.

How to Pick a Pin Tumbler Lock

Pin tumbler locks are the most common locks found on the front doors of homes. So it makes for a good first lock to learn how to pick.

How a Pin Tumbler Lock Works

You don’t really need to understand how basic pin tumbler locks work to successfully pick them, but it does help.

The design of the basic pin tumbler lock has been in use since 4000 BC. Of course, it’s gotten more complex over the millennia. The design that is used in most cylinder locks — like the one on your front door — has been around since 1861, and it hasn’t changed much. Basically, most of the world is using a technology that’s been around for a century and a half to keep their most prized possessions safe and secure.

Here’s the anatomy of most run-of-the-mill pin tumbler locks:

Pin tumbler locks consist of an outer cylindrical casing (colored green) in which a plug is housed. The small gap between the outer casing and the plug is called the shear line. Remember that. It will come in handy here in a bit. The plug has an opening for the key. When the proper key is inserted into the plug, the plug can rotate, thus unlocking the lock. On top of the plug, a series of five or six holes are drilled. The holes contain key pins (colored red) of different lengths. They’re called key pins because they touch the key when you insert a key into the plug. Above each key pin is a driver pin that’s spring-loaded. Pins are also sometimes referred to as “binding pins.”

So you have an idea of how the pins look in action, here’s a gif of me inserting a pick into a see-through practice lock:

In the diagram above, there’s no key in the plug. Because of the different key pin lengths, the driver pins cross the shear line, making it impossible for the plug to rotate. If you put a wrong key into a lock, the notches on the key won’t lift up the key pins at the right height, causing them to protrude through the shear line as you can see in the diagram below:

In order for the plug to rotate, you need to lift each of the key pins and driver pins to the correct height — until the gap between the key pins and driver pins reaches the shear line. When all of the pins reach this position, the plug can rotate. That’s what happens when you put a properly cut key into a lock:

Pretty simple, huh?

When you pick a lock, all you’re doing is using tools, instead of a key, to line up the gap between the key pins and driver pins with the shear line between the outer casing and the plug. That’s it. And it’s super easy to do.

Tools Needed for Picking a Pin Tumbler Lock

There are various tools you can use to pick a lock. For this post, we’re going to focus on using the most common lock-picking tools: a tension wrench and pick rakes. 

Below is my wallet-sized lock-picking set that I got from SEREPick while I was at the ITS Muster. The picks are made of titanium. There’s one tension wrench and several rakes with different numbers of ridges, which allow you to pick several pins at a time. There’s also a pick that allows you to pick one pin at a time. Some locks will require you to do that.

If you’re looking for something a little sturdier and robust, you can find lock-picking sets several places online (even Amazon). If you want to be even more of a MacGyver, you could even make your own picks from a windshield wiper.

You can also use a paperclip to pick a lock. Check out our article on how to pick a lock with a paperclip.

Lock-Picking Technique

Lock picking is more art than science. You definitely have to develop a “feel” for it. Each lock is different, but the same basic principles apply. The easiest way to pick a lock is to use the fast and dirty method: scrubbing.

1. Insert Tension Wrench into the Bottom of Key Hole and Apply Slight Pressure

The tension wrench is the key (no pun intended) to successfully picking a lock. Thanks to video games, people wrongfully think it’s the pick, because that is the thing that’s actually lifting the key pins to line up with the shear line.

Here’s why the tension wrench is so important: as you’re lifting the pin sets with your pick you need to apply tension on the plug. If you’re applying the right amount of torque on the plug, once the driver pin passes the shear line, the plug will rotate slightly. When you pull your pick out, the key pin will drop back down, but the driver pin will catch the edge of the plug, thus staying above the shear line. Here’s a diagram of what it looks like:

You’ll keep lifting pins with your pick and applying pressure with your tension wrench, until all the driver pins have cleared the shear line.

So far so good? Alrighty.

So take your tension wrench and place it in the bottom of the key hole. Apply slight pressure in the direction you would turn the key if you had it. And by slight I mean slight. If you apply too much pressure, you’re just going to cause the driver pins to bind below the shear line. You need to have enough give to let the driver pins rise above the shear line, but have enough torque that when they start dropping down, an edge of the drive pin catches the plug as it starts to rotate.

From the CIA Lock Picking Field Operative Training Manual

How much is too much pressure? If your tension wrench is bending a lot, then you’re probably applying too much pressure. So lean on the side of applying less pressure than more.

2. Insert Pick at Top of Lock

Pick your pick. I prefer the Bogota rake that has three ridges. This one has picked every lock that I’ve used it on very easily.

Slide the rake all the way to the back.

3. While Applying Slight Torque to Your Wrench, Scrub Your Pick Back and Forth in the Key Hole

Keep applying that slight pressure on your tension wrench. I use my left hand for that. With your right hand, scrub or rake the inside of the plug with your pick. As you pull the pick back, simultaneously lift up in order to apply pressure on the pins. It looks sort of like this motion:

4. Repeat Until All the Pins Set

Keep applying torque on your wrench and scrubbing the pins until they all set. You may need to apply more torque and pressure on the pins with your pick as you get near the last one or two pins that need to set. If you’re not making any progress, you probably applied too much torque with the wrench. Relax, let the pins reset, and start over again, focusing on not using too much pressure.

That’s it! Really. That’s all there is to it. You can successfully pick most pin and tumbler locks using this scrubbing method.

You may run across locks that require a little bit more finesse by picking each pin set one at a time. In these trickier locks, you may need to get more methodical by looking for the pin stack that resists the most and picking it first and then repeating the process until all the pins are successfully picked.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Like I said above, lock picking is more art than science. The best way to learn how to do it is to simply pick locks as much as possible. Buy yourself different pin and tumbler locks at the hardware store and keep them on your desk or by your couch. When you’re taking a break from work or while you’re watching TV, practice picking. I’ve got three or four locks in my drawer that I’ll bust out during the day for practice sessions.

You’re one step closer to becoming Jason Bourne. Remember, use this knowledge for fun or for legal entries. If you’re going to burgle, only burgle hamburgers. Robble, robble.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I pick a lock with?

Your best bet is a lock-picking set that includes a tension wrench and a set of rakes. My favorite is the set from SEREPick. In a pinch, you could fashion some lock picks with a paper clip, bobby pin, or even windshield wiper blades. In my experience, picking a lock with paper clips is more difficult because they have a tendency to break in the lock. 

Is lock picking legal? 

Depends on which country or state you live in. In most instances, as long as you’re picking a lock and don’t have criminal intent, you’re fine. In some states, owning a set of lock picks is prima facie evidence of criminal intent and things get more complicated. Be sure to check local laws before buying a lock-picking set. 

Can you pick a lock with a credit card?

Not tumbler locks. But some locks on internal doors can be opened by jimmying a credit card between the lock and the door. Here’s how to use a credit card to open these doors.

Further Reading

If you want to get more in-depth in the art of lock picking, check out these two sources:

CIA Lock Picking Field Operative Training Manual

The MIT Guide to Lock Picking (This baby goes really in-depth into the mechanics and physics of why we’re able to pick locks. Very thorough. Definitely recommend reading it